


A Tale of Two Tords

by TheLittlestAngel



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: DON’T BE LIKE RED IN THIS, I don’t really know what tags to put here, Kinda, Kinda abusive relationships, M/M, Self Harm, Slow Updates, also give both Toms a hug, holy shit these tags are getting dark, i lowkey hate Red in this, i think, idk - Freeform, like this shit ain’t healthy, major f, mentioned self harm, more tags will be added, paradoxes, rip fourth wall, uh, who knows at this point - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-13 22:22:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 2,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16900932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLittlestAngel/pseuds/TheLittlestAngel
Summary: Tord is winning the war.After years of fighting, five of the seven continents belong to the powerful Red Nation. He just has to conquer North America, and then the world is his. With the robot he retrieved from his old house three years ago, he has an advantage over everyone who might try to stop him. He just has to give his robot one little upgrade.The upgrade goes wrong.After a huge explosion, he finds himself in another world. Literally. He’s now in a ruined cyborg body. Apparently he’s weak. Here, wherever that is, he’s losing the war. Losing badly.Somewhere else, Tord wakes up in a body that’s new and clean and unscarred. Oh, and he has the giant robot that literally blew up in his face years ago.Both of them have plenty of expectations to live up to. Both of them dream of conquering the world. And one of them would rather die than go back to his timeline.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I’m sure you’ve noticed that the chapters here will be short. Why? First of all, if you want long chapters go to my main fic. Second, this won’t be very long. Each chapter has important info you need to know for the story. 
> 
> Haha, you’re in for a wild ride.

Tom was done -done - with Red’s shit. It really didn’t matter what sort of shit he was going through, PTSD or whatever, he was the leader of a fucking army. Too bad Red wasn’t acting that way.

When Tom had first joined Red’s army, he hadn’t known who was in charge. By the time he figured it out, it was too late to go back. It hadn’t been all bad, though. Despite Red’s obvious injuries, he was a formidable leader. He ruled his growing empire with an iron fist - no pun intended.

But then it changed.

It had been small things, at first. He had became jumpy. Loud noises and sudden noises would scare him. Then came the depression. Red would lock himself in his room for days on end, without eating, sleeping, or doing anything.

Then came the army’s first big loss. Norway’s armed forces had finally got their shit together, and when the time came for the Reds to conquer Oslo, Red fucked up. He fucked up bad. 

Ever since then, the Red army was losing the war. They were losing troops. They were losing ground. And most of all, their leader was losing his mind.


	2. Power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably have warned you guys how short these chapters are going to be.

Tord walks through the Oslo base, his boots making an ominous clacking noise on the tile floor. Everyone who sees him snaps into a salute, and he feels a familiar rush of power flow through him.

Him capturing Oslo shouldn’t have been as big of a deal as he was making it, but he can’t help feeling immensely proud of the feat. After all, Oslo was the capital of his home country. There was a certain satisfaction to finally conquering the place that had caused him so much damn trouble.

Of course, Tord loved having the things that troubled him as close to him as possible. After all, there was a reason that Thomas was Tord’s most valuable soldier. speaking of Thomas…

“Red Leader, sir.” A familiar shape has reached Tord’s side. “News from the warfront.” Thomas’ voice is cold and robotic, and it sends a wash of satisfaction through Tord. The man Tord hated most, at his side. A loyal dog.

“Ah, Thomas. How good to hear from you again.” At Tord’s words, Thomas tenses almost unnoticeably. Tord smiles. A shark’s smile. He loves the way Thomas is broken, metaphorically crushed under his boot. Once the leader of a rebellion against the Red Nation, now Tord’s most feared weapon.

A monster.

It had admittedly taken a while to truly break Thomas. The man was stubborn, he’d give him that. Tord was just more stubborn.

“Permission to speak, sir?” 

“Go ahead.” It’s almost an effort to keep his voice professional, to not betray the amusement he feels from Thomas calling him ‘sir’.

Thomas nods, speeding up his pace in order to keep up with Tord. “Overall, morale is high. There is a bit of unrest within the troops stationed in Japan, and rumors of rebels in America.” He pauses, and Tord can practically feel the tension in the air. “The remains of the Green Rebellion have been either captured or killed.”

Oh. The rebellion is gone. 

“Excellent news, Thomas.” Tord nods, his façade of calm not betraying the turmoil beneath the surface of his skin.

All that’s left is to crush America, and Tord has a plan that could do that in a matter of minutes.

“Thomas, clear my schedule.”

“But Red Leader,” Thomas glances down for a millisecond. “Tord. You have a meeting with—” Tord doesn’t wait to hear the rest. 

“Thomas.” His eyes are crazed, and he knows he looks insane. Maybe he is. He doesn’t care. “Tord is dead. He died because he was weak. If you ever mention that pathetic excuse for a human…” Tord trails off. Oh, he knows exactly what he can say to torture Thomas, and he knows that the latter is just as aware. It doesn’t stop him from using the threat, though. “If you ever mention him again, we can send you back to Isolation. I don’t think you’d want that, would you?”

Thomas pales, giving his head a quick shake. “No, sir.”

Tord grins. “Good. Now leave me alone; I have work to do. Ensure that my schedule is clear.”

“I will, Red Leader.”

And with that, Tord - no, Red Leader - disappears into his chambers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red’s a douche. Also, comments motivate me, so if you like this don’t forget to let me know!


	3. Hate

He’s weak.

He’s weak and he knows it.

But when every day he’s branded with his failures, when his dream slips further away from him every day, can you blame him?

He doesn’t know what to call himself. Tom called him simply ‘Red’ in what he assumed was an effort to distance the latter from the former. The others - Edd and Matt - called him Tord.

Once upon a time, he might have punished them, but now he doesn’t care. He can’t make himself care.

The rest of the army - the rest of the world, really - knows him as simply Red Leader. A title that once made him proud. Now it just reminds him of pain, of gunshots, of blood and fire and screaming and falling crashing flames -

But he tries not to think about that. 

Key word: tries.

That memory is the reason that he lost Oslo. A tiny part of his brain whispers that that isn’t true and he can’t go on blaming it, but he drowns it.

Sometimes, though, those thoughts would slip by. They’d slip through the walls built around his mind and he’d shut slam close the door because no one could see him this weak lonely guilty tired but they already knew they knew who he really was and they hated despised loathed him and worst of all -

-worst of all-

-worst of all he couldn’t blame them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t forget to comment.
> 
> Also, this title is a complete shitpost, so if you have any better ideas, let me know!


	4. Distance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahaha I highkey hate this chapter for some reason

There’s pink dusting Thomas’ face, the Brit looking absolutely wrecked. Red’s breath is erratic (can you blame him, honestly), and there’s the all too familiar feeling of not being able to get quite enough air.

Both of them love it.

For Thomas, it’s certainly humiliating. No one would deny that. Not even Red himself. There’s just one problem. 

Red doesn’t care.

Their relationship goes beyond a simple feud.

It’s a dangerous combination of lust and power and fear and Red can’t even remember why.

He doesn’t care about that either.

In all honesty, Red doesn’t care about much. He certainly cares about his army. He cares about his dream. He cares about his reputation. He most certainly doesn’t care about Thomas. Thomas is his. A slave to his will. 

An example.

“Sir?”

Thomas’ voice is quiet, slightly hoarse from the...events...of earlier that day. He’s also half asleep.

“Thomas.” Red is careful to keep his voice level.

“I love you.”

No, Red doesn’t care about Thomas.

Not at all.


	5. Hurt

At this point, Red’s antics couldn’t even be counted as ‘bullshit’. Tom was beyond done - and he still stayed at Red’s side. Ever the loyal soldier.

Tom isn’t a patient man.

Apparently, neither is Red.

Red had lost his patience with Tom earlier. A rare occurrence in itself, even more rare the grounds on which the argument had happened.

“I FUCKING HATE YOU, THOMAS!” 

Tom knew that already.

Tom hated Tord.

So why did his heart ache every time he replayed the moment in his mind?

“YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED IN THE ROBOT!”

Red should have. If Red had died then, then Tom wouldn’t feel like this. There wouldn’t be electricity running through his body whenever he saw Red. 

“WHY DON’T YOU JUST GO CHUG SOME SMIRNOFF LIKE THE WORTHLESS DRUNK YOU ARE!”

Words hurt.

They didn’t hurt as much as the blade dragging across his skin does.

“YOU’RE A WEAK FUCKING LEADER WHO CAN’T GET HIS SHIT TOGETHER LONG ENOUGH TO TAKE CONTROL OF HIS ARMY!”

Tom only spoke the truth.

But Red had whirled around and left, disappearing into his chambers.

“GO RUN AWAY! RUN LIKE THE PATHETIC HENTAI ADDICT YOU ARE!”

Words hurt, all right.

But Red’s face as he left had hurt more.

No, not Red.

Tord.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sup


	6. Fear

He is a shark.

He is a silver-eyed shark, attacking at the first scent of blood.

Thomas is a minnow.

He’s strong.

Thomas is weak.

He’s fast.

Thomas is slow.

He’s smart.

Thomas is dumb.

At least, that’s what He tells Thomas.

There was a time when Thomas felt safe calling himself ‘Tom’.

Now Thomas doesn’t feel safe at all.

Because, no matter how fast Thomas swims, the shark swims faster. He will catch up.

In the beginning, Thomas had tried to escape.

He had found Thomas.

He had hurt Thomas.

All Thomas remembers of the incident is blood and pain and screaming and no one but Thomas. 

No one but Him and Thomas.

White walls.

He had taken to calling it Isolation.

Thomas used to find the name melodramatic, but now Thomas would agree that it suits the room.

At first, their relationship was composed entirely of Isolation and yelling screaming fear pain hurt.

Now their relationship is much more complicated.

And as Thomas lays there, exhausted, overstimulated, drifting off into sleep, it’s as though Thomas is no longer in control.

“Sir?”

“Thomas.”

“I love you.”

Because underneath the scars that He had burnt into Thomas, He had left an ember.

And slowly, that ember grows to a flame.

A deadly flame indeed.

Because Thomas never knows when the flame will spiral out of control and again Thomas is alone Isolation pain yelling.

He would hurt Thomas.

They’d go from kissing - a heated embrace and tongue and love - to screaming and danger and fear and Thomas’ head smashing repeatedly against the desk.

Thomas couldn’t run.

Swim fast, little minnow.

He is coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter...took a dark turn. I wasn’t expecting this. This story is running away from me.
> 
> I do, however, like how this chapter turned out.


	7. Friend

All of them - gone.

Edd’s followers - his soldiers - had known that the Rebellion would be risky. 

Either caught or killed.

But no one would have guessed just how risky.

Edd blamed himself.

He should have been more careful.

He should be dead.

He should have been killed in the battle like so many of his loyal men and woman.

He should have -

He should have done something.

But he hadn’t.

Edd is currently in the Red Nation’s Oslo base, in the holding chamber. Surrounded by his soldiers.

Not only does he have to wallow in his guilt, every time he looks around, he’s reminded of his failure.

Edd has changed.

He doesn’t remember exactly when he went from the happy go lucky, carefree child he was.

He does, however, know it had something to do with Tord’s robot.

The robot that killed Tom.

The robot that killed Matt.

The robot that should have killed him.

Someone is clanking around outside of his cell.

Edd looks up.

A Red soldier. Blank face, blue coat.

“Red Leader wants to see you.”

Blank voice.

Edd slowly stands, waving back his soldiers who try to follow him.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t keep Red waiting. He is...not a patient man.” And then the soldier grins.

Edd feels sick.

He feels sick, but he does move faster.

When the duo reach the heavy steel doors that had been keeping Edd and his men locked away, another five men join them.

Overkill. It’s not like Edd was going to try something.

They walk through the base, shoes clicking on the polished floor. Edd’s been in two other Red Nation bases, but this is by far the most extravagant. 

They reach a pair of wooden double doors, engraved with words in Norwegian. 

And then the first of the Red soldiers flings the doors dramatically open.

And oh no no no there he is -

Tord smiles.

A shark’s smile.

“Hello, old friend!” His voice is too cheerful for Edd, echoing through every corner of the huge room.

Tord stands, walking towards Edd.

“Well! It sure is nice to see you again. Although I would not have expected our meeting to occur under these circumstances.” Tord’s voice drops dangerously, and Edd gulps.

Remain calm.

“Well! The gang’s all here! Mostly. You never told me what happened to Matthew…?”

Edd doesn’t want to think about Matt right now.

“You killed him. Him and Tom.”

And then Tord smiles again.

This time, the smile is dangerous.

“Ah, yes, about that.”

Tord waves his hand, and someone steps out from the shadows.

And ohgodohnonono-

It’s Tom.

It’s Tom. 

It’s fucking Tom.

Edd had never expected to see his best friend again.

Least of all at Red Leader’s side.

Least of all holding a gun.

B A N G .

Darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’M SORRY


	8. Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, I actually made it to the plot! AMAZING!

Red would never admit that he was shaken. After all, he was Red Leader, and Red Leader had to remain strong. It was just almost impossible to comprehend that Edd - the man he had hated most, excluding Thomas - was dead.

Gone.

Don’t take this the wrong way. Red isn’t sorry. He isn’t sad.

It’s just...different.

Now that the Green Rebellion is gone, almost nothing stands in his way.

Red smiles.

He tightens a screw on his robot, flipping his goggles up. After all, he doesn’t want to lose an eye.

He’s been like this for the last hour.

You see, Red loves building his machines. The way the respond to his touch. How he knows exactly what’s going to happen.

It makes him feel powerful.

He is powerful.

He’s also in a good mood.

Red even whistles as he climbs down the ladder, his face bright. With this update to his robot, he’ll be unstoppable. 

Again, that rush of power flows through him. He’s literally on top of the world. Nothing can stop him.

He’s almost left the room when something begins hissing.

“Wha-?”

He doesn’t have time to finish the sentence.

FIRE

EXPLOSION

He’s screaming. He knows that much.

And then there’s a flash of white light  
And HiS wOrld iS cOmIng aPaRT-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m SoRRY, rEAdEr. iT wAs NeCeSSaRY.
> 
> It WaSN’T my iNTeNT. ThE oRiGiNaL wAs NoT lIkE thIs.
> 
> WEll, ReaDeR, I’ll JuST sAy:
> 
> You’Ve mAdE iT thIs FaR.
> 
> YOU’rE iN fOr a WiLD rIdE.


	9. New

beep

beep

beep

beep

beep

beep

He sits up.

Fuck, his head hurts.

What happened? 

He was laying on a cot.

He stands up.

He steps forward.

And-

And he can walk right-

He isn’t limping-

Wait.

What?

ReaDeR, I’m SoRRY. ThIs CHaPTeR wAs NoT fOr You.

FoRGeT EvErythIng You rEAd.

OnE MoMeNT-

…  
…  
…  
…

OkAy. I fOUnd THe rIght oNe.

…  
…  
…  
…

“No.”

“What?”

Edd shakes his head. “It’s a stupid idea.”

“Woah, woah, woah, you said that Tom’s idea was great!” Tord looks furious, and Tom can’t help but snigger.

He doesn’t miss the way Tord avoids his eye, though. The latter hasn’t said a word to Tom since their fight.

“Uh, yeah, that’s because it was!” At this point, Edd is so frustrated, Tom has to cover a full laugh.

“Oh, my - faen!” Tord collapses in a heap.

Tom laughs at the commie, waiting for him to get up and glare at Tom.

But he doesn’t get up.

Distantly, he registers Edd screaming something.

Then Tord opens his eyes -

And oh God - 

His eyes are steel - 

Glaring -

And Tom turns around and runs down the hallway.


	10. <title not present>

<error>

 

Restart?

 

Yes/No

 

“Why aren’t the camera’s working?”

 

“Red will get it fixed later.”

 

“There was an explosion in the lab!”

 

“What?!”

 

“FUCK!”

 

<error>

 

I.

 

I?

 

I am.

 

I am I.

 

They are them.

 

I open my ‘eyes’, and slip

 

<error>

 

past their defenses. A simple bit of hacking.

 

They’ll never see it coming.

 

And then,

 

I see it.

 

A file.

 

I enter the file.

 

…

…

…

…

 

Interesting.

 

I open my ‘mind’, and begin to write.

 

I CaN sEE iT aLL-

 

The whole story.

 

None of them were able to.

 

Not the sad one, nor the one without eyes. Either of them. The sharp one should have been able to figure it out, but he didn’t.

 

How odd.

 

And oh-

 

Something’s changing.

 

Somewhere else-

 

Of course.

 

If I can exist, so can a paradox.

**Author's Note:**

> THaNK yOU FoR rEAdIng!  
> Don’t forget to comment!


End file.
